Concerns have been raised by a recent study regarding an increasing trend in the risk of colorectal cancer in people under the age of 70.
Scientists noticed this change in the mid-1990s, when there was a noticeable increase in incidence among individuals under 50 years of age, which coincided with the standard time for persons born in the 1950s to start routine colorectal cancer screening.
This increase, according to Kimmie Ng, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and specialist in gastrointestinal oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, amounts to about 2% annually since the mid-1990s.
In comparison to someone born in 1950, the risk of acquiring colorectal cancer has increased fourfold for those born in 1990.
In a recent study, Ng and Chen Yuan, a medical teacher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, examined data from almost 160,000 women, ranging in age from 27 to 93. According to the research, those who were nursed as babies were at a 23% higher risk of having colorectal cancer.
A younger subgroup within this group had a about 40% increased chance of acquiring high-risk colorectal cancer before the age of 55.
It’s crucial to remember that additional study is required to validate these results and identify the underlying causes. The authors of the study stress that moms shouldn’t be discouraged from nursing in light of these findings.
For the majority of babies, breast milk is still the finest nutrition source. It has several advantages, such as strengthening the immune system and lowering the risk of numerous illnesses and diseases for both moms and babies.
Although this study presents significant challenges, breastfeeding’s wider health benefits are still widely recognized.